The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-25
JOAQUIN MILLER.
Gath Describes His Rough Life in Cali
fornia.
Gath's Letter.


Returning now to Oakland, let me say that
I visited there Joaquin Miller, known as the poe
of the Sielras, of unquestionable poetic DIP
prehension and frequent poetic genius, who might
have been with education the best poet now extant
in our country. Lacking original education he
gives vent to surprises and sometimes mistakes
strong language for the voice of art. Bret Harte
has written the best poems of any Californian for
he seems to have been exploring, reading man.
Miller, however, has had q more consonant life
with his romantic writings than ether Clemens or
Harte, the other two well known coasters. When
Clemens lived out here he was generally hard UP
and being fond of money he was correspondngly
saturnine. He has cured himself bravely of impe
curiosity, but Bret Harte as Joaquin Miller said to
me- viii some day starve if he stays in London ana
tries to live upon mere literature which is no pro-
fesson in our day
1t is q curious thing to see Joaquin Miller, living
here at altitude of hundred feet above the
sea, on yet naked mountain, digging with his own
hands cracks in the black mold and among the
stones to procure drinking water which trickles all
around his water shed and promises to turn his
land into oasis in the skies With his own hands
he erected the stone steps which lead up to his door
Inths operation, is said that he hadalhemorrhage
of the lungs, and this, added to his labors to finish
scriptural poem, gave him rather old and worn
look when saw him, and he limped besides from
some wounds received in his body in Oregon where
he was one Of the lynch-law men, yet ultimately
Judge. lie has little house in cleft of the noun
tains made of redwood, about ten twelve feet
high and perhaps thirty feet long it has lust one
room, with alcOve beds for himself and his mother
who is fac old woman, originally from Liberty
Ind She went out to Oregon somewhere about
1852, and there had three sons, of whom she says
that two were men Of more ability than the cele-
brated poet of the SleTas Miller says the same
about his brothers, They and his father are deceas
ed. Miller is not an affected man, but one who
really represents in himself most of the evidences of
EXTREME BORDER MOUNTAIN LIFE.
He has lived among the Indians, has been a IA
Yorite in the drawingrooms of London, was at one
time something Of q SUCCESS in Wall street. and he
astonished Washington by building a log cabin
within less than q mile of the Presidents house
This cabin he still possesses but the 10 I'd he held in
Washington has been sold at n considerable adj
vance. He took the money and bought property in
Oakland, which he has turned over to advantage
and therefore owns one hundred acres good build
ing and orchard sites only four miles back Of the
ferry.
Miller is blueeyed man with warm brown hair
almCs. reddish in its tint and he be aGectonate
and engaging in Lis manner and is u good deal adj
nired by class Of reliable men above the neWspa-
per paragraphers and below the millionaras
lie says he will never again move, but expects to
die on his lofty patch and have his bones cremated
among the stones there. His historical passion was
evidenced from his having planted the flagstaff on
q step upon his cabin, where, he says, Fremont en-
camped at the time Of his first exploration found
hmsitting with his Bible turning the story Of Christ
as human man and brother in'o poetry if that can
be done any better than the old fellows did it, He
Is one Of the last poets we possess who after the
manner Of Thorcau, has given his maturer life 10
the creation Of dreams in verse; IL must not be for
gotten, however that he wrote two very good plays
which have been represented on both sides OF the
ocean, and they made fortune for Mckee Rankin
and one or two others.
Said Miller to me- 81 went to Washington sin
cgrely desired to a1apt nygnf Ia IL aud IN 1ovn
but they didn't agree with me there; found 1t
was no place for me ana / came back again 10 my
own coast. Instead Of writing poems hereafter l
shall try 10 enjoy the raising Of poeticll houses on
my tract and 10 study nature and wait for my time
TO molder away
Mr. Miller married few years ago Mrs LELAND,
Of New York an amiable and charming young lady,
and he expects to bring her out here 70 hs new pos
session and have her superntend his affairs and
teach him the ways Of practical life,